National

‘I don’t know what we would have done without SIG’:UK funding rescues Hwange school

Published

3 years ago

April 27, 2023

BY WILSON MAREYA AND JOHN MOKWETSI

Without the School Improvement Grant (SIG), learners at Nyongolo Primary School in Hwange district would not be celebrating the provision of textbooks, teaching material, classroom furniture, and a good learning environment.

Nyongolo Primary School is a registered rural school located about 340 km from Zimbabwe’s second-biggest city, Bulawayo.

The school is a few metres from the Hwange-Victoria Falls highway and has 5 classrooms and 272 learners (147 females and 125 males).

Hwange District is primarily a mining district.

Large coal deposits are found in the district, and several large coal mines are located there.

Despite being mineral-rich, the locals survive on menial jobs, with most not affording to buy their children basic education needs.

Most learners live within a radius of 10km from the school.

Nyongolo is one of the beneficiaries of the School Improvement Grant (SIG) Regular programme made possible thanks to funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

The grant aims to support financially constrained schools with resources to meet their minimum functionality standards.

FCDO supports the Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education initiatives towards improving the quality of education for all children, especially the vulnerable and disadvantaged, with UNICEF managing the funds and providing technical support.

The school head, Nokuthula Ndebele, is ecstatic when she speaks of the benefits of SIG: “Textbooks have come as a game changer for our pupils. We used to have acute shortages of textbooks, where the school could only afford one textbook for the whole class.

“For the Ndebele language, the school did not have any textbooks for grades 6 and 7.

“With the funds available to purchase more textbooks and teaching materials, the learners gain motivation and interest in learning as each learner has their textbook for most of the subjects.”

She added that for the Ndebele language in 2022, the school posted impressive Grade 7 results, with 24 out of 34 learners having passed.

“We expect this success to be replicated in all other subjects in 2023. The quality of learning is surely improving.

“Our school had many non-readers when I took over as head in 2021. Now there is a significant improvement.

“With access to textbooks, the reading culture is improving,” Ndebele revealed the positive impact.

For schools like Nyongolo, where several learners were non-readers, SIG has been a critical pillar in supporting foundational literacy.

Ndebele added: “SIG is the most contributor towards the school’s existence; I don’t know what we would have done without SIG.

“The school would probably not exist anymore.

“The levies and fees are too low to support the school.

“With the last grant, we purchased 16 single desks, 18 chairs and 24 textbooks, and our classrooms are now looking the way a classroom should look.”

Most desks and chairs are stacked at the back of the classroom as schools have closed for the third term holiday.

The school’s School Development Association (SDA) chairperson, Joseph Ndlovu, said of the support: “Before the intervention of UNICEF, our school did not have enough textbooks.

“Children sat on combined desks and chairs, which made social distancing impossible during Covid.

“Now a larger proportion of the learners have single desks and chairs. The community is quite happy with the improvements at the school.”

He added that the school and the parents could not afford textbooks and suitable furniture for every learner.

“The school could only afford to buy a single textbook per class for the teacher.

“We are glad for the support we receive from UNICEF and the Ministry (of Primary and Secondary Education).

“Now for most subjects, each learner has their own textbook, and the children are happy”, said Joseph.

The support given to schools has positively impacted schooling in many financially constrained schools in Zimbabwe.

Dreams of a brighter future are being kept alive in these poor communities.

Ndebele spoke of the challenges.

“The challenge is still on subjects like PE and ICT where we have one textbook for the whole class in some classes.

“We also do not have enough classrooms for our learners. If the district approves our application for Complementary Funding, we plan to renovate and complete a classroom unit for ECD.”

In early December, the school applied to the District Education for UNICEF-supported complementary funding to support the school’s infrastructure development.

The school aims to renovate and complete a big classroom unit for ECD and provide an appropriate and enabling learning environment for the infants.

The school head hopes to get support from the School Improvement Grant component of Complementary Funding from the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) – where schools get funding to renovate, rehabilitate or complete existing school structures such as science laboratories, classrooms or hygiene-friendly toilets for the learners. She is also hoping for continued support so the school can purchase suitable furniture for infants and purchase more textbooks for subjects like (Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Physical Education (PE). – UNICEF Zimbabwe

National

Zambia, Zimbabwe to ban heavy trucks from Victoria Falls Bridge

Published

17 hours ago

April 21, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY DUMANI MOYO

Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has announced that Zambia and Zimbabwe will restrict heavy trucks and trains from using the century-old Victoria Falls Bridge.

Speaking at an engineering conference in Livingstone, he said the two countries will instead build a new bridge and railway crossing to handle modern freight demands.

Hichilema made it clear that the 121-year-old structure can no longer safely or efficiently carry today’s heavy-duty traffic.

Engineers designed the bridge in the early 1900s for much lighter loads, not for fully laden 60-tonne mining trucks or long freight trains that now dominate regional trade routes.

Engineers completed the Victoria Falls Bridge in 1905 as a narrow arch crossing linking road, rail and pedestrian traffic.

While it remains an iconic piece of infrastructure, its design limits its ability to support modern logistics.

Authorities have already imposed restrictions over the years.

Trains often move at very low speeds, while trucks have faced weight limits that forced heavier vehicles to reroute through other crossings.

Although rehabilitation work in 2006 extended the bridge’s lifespan, it did not solve the fundamental structural limitations.

Experts now agree that upgrading the bridge to meet current freight standards would cost nearly as much as building a new one.

WHY A NEW CROSSING MAKES ECONOMIC SENSE

Officials from both countries now favour constructing a new dual-purpose rail and road bridge instead of attempting further upgrades.

A purpose-built crossing would accommodate higher traffic volumes and modern freight loads without compromising safety.

A new structure would also eliminate a major bottleneck along the North-South Corridor, which links the copper belts of Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo to southern markets such as South Africa.

By separating heavy commercial traffic from tourism and local travel, the new bridge would allow the Victoria Falls Bridge to serve lighter vehicles, pedestrians and tourists, preserving its heritage value.

REGIONAL TRADE AND RAIL INTEGRATION BOOST

The proposed crossing would complement major regional projects, including the Mosetse-Kazungula-Livingstone Railway.

A dual-track rail bridge would strengthen links between Zambia and Zimbabwe while supporting long-term plans to expand rail connectivity across Southern Africa.

It would also mirror the successful model of the Kazungula Bridge, which has significantly increased traffic flow since opening in 2021.

FINANCING AND NEXT STEPS

Despite strong political backing, key questions remain around funding, construction timelines and project ownership.

Zimbabwe’s debt constraints could complicate financing, although improved economic reforms may unlock support from international lenders.

If both governments secure funding and move quickly, the new bridge could become one of the most important infrastructure developments in the Southern African Development Community in recent years.

This could transform trade flows and ease congestion along a critical regional corridor.

SOURCE: THE SOUTH AFRICAN

National

Health ministry rolls out polio vaccination campaign

Published

18 hours ago

April 21, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Ministry of Health and Child Care has launched a targeted polio vaccination campaign in selected districts, with health workers going door-to-door and setting up outreach points to reach young children.

The campaign aims to vaccinate all children under the age of five against polio, a highly infectious disease that can cause paralysis. Authorities say the initiative forms part of a wider regional effort to interrupt transmission, being conducted alongside neighbouring countries including Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique and Zambia.

In a message posted on X on Monday and circulated in official memos, the ministry said it was “embarking on a targeted polio vaccination campaign to interrupt the transmission of polioviruses”. It urged families in affected areas to ensure that all eligible children are vaccinated, regardless of their previous vaccination status.

The programme will be carried out in two rounds, from 20 to 23 April and from 2 to 5 June, covering both urban and rural communities.

In Bulawayo Metropolitan Province, vaccination teams are operating in Emakhandeni, the Northern Suburbs and Nkulumane. In Harare Metropolitan Province, the campaign covers Harare, Chitungwiza, Epworth and Ruwa.

In Manicaland Province, teams are working in Mutare, Mutasa, Chimanimani and Chipinge. In Mashonaland Central, the campaign targets Mbire, Mt Darwin, Centenary and Rushinga, while in Mashonaland East it focuses on Mudzi. In Mashonaland West, Kariba and Hurungwe are included.

Further south, the drive extends to Chiredzi in Masvingo Province, as well as Binga, Hwange and Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North. In Matabeleland South, teams are operating in Bulilima, Mangwe, Matobo and Gwanda.

Health workers are using a combination of fixed vaccination sites, mobile units and door-to-door visits in neighbourhoods, markets, shops and clinics to reach eligible children, including those in remote and hard-to-access areas.

The ministry has called on parents and guardians to cooperate with vaccination teams, saying the campaign is critical to protecting children and preventing the spread of the disease.

SOURCE: CITE

National

Strive Masiyiwa speaks on how Econet Tech City will work

Published

5 days ago

April 17, 2026

VicFallsLive

BY OWN CORRESPONDENT

Econet founder and group chairman Strive Masiyiwa, whose company recently listed Econet InfraCo – an infrastructure platform company – says he was inspired to build an industrial hub in Harare, called Econet Tech City, after observing similar hubs spring up in other African and Asian cities.

In particular Masiyiwa made reference to the 12 000-hectare Eko Atlantic hub in Lagos, Nigeria, built on reclaimed land, where his Data Centre group has established a large facility.

“Modern international investors don’t like hassles when they plan to build a factory or high tech facility, like a Data Centre,” he said.

“They prefer locations where everything they need – such as power, water, fibre and satellite connectivity, industrial waste management, security, street lighting and staff transport – is readily available.

“They don’t want to be burdened with complex local planning approvals or licensing processes.

“These industrial hubs operate as a one-stop shop, managed by local experts who handle everything for them.

“When we build a data centre in an African city, it is a highly complex project and we seek these hubs, some even offering legal services.” He explained.

Econet InfraCo – which is listed on the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, with an estimated valuation of US$1 billion dollars – owns an 800-hectare property near the Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare.

It is currently in the process of turning it into a modern industrial hub – pending government approval – and is expected to attract 300 companies, creating over 20 000 jobs.

Tech City will not only be built by Econet InfraCo; the company will also continue to manage it on behalf the tenants. It will be surrounded by a security wall, with 24-hour guards protecting the perimeters, complete with CCTV and drone surveillance.

Masiyiwa said Econet InfraCo plans to address infrastructure challenges for investors in collaboration with the government.

“The goal is to build a self-sufficient ‘city within a city’, surpassing the pre-independence industrial areas, complete with a shopping mall and clinic, but excluding housing and offices. It is intended to create a spark for industrialization,” Masiyiwa said.

He said the site chosen by Econet InfraCo includes a large stream, crucial for water supply, and will utilize a 100MW solar plant.

Architects and engineers are already developing plans, with solar panels for the first phase arriving from China soon.

Econet, which already has a 5MW data centre in Willowvale, Harare, is planning to build a 10MW facility in Tech City. The industrial hub is the first major project that Econet InfraCo is undertaking.

Regarding project timelines, Masiyiwa said: “From Econet’s perspective, we can complete the site within two years, but government incentives for businesses are crucial.

“Zimbabwe is competing with cities like Lagos, Cape Town, Nairobi and Kigali. I have laid out the vision and discussed it with Zimbabwean leaders.

“If they and the people support it, this could be a great partnership. I envision similar projects across Africa, as I am a Pan-Africanist, but I always start in my country.”

Masiyiwa hopes Econet Tech City will be operational within five years, emphasising the pressing need for jobs for young people, which he said is “too urgent to ignore”.

He said since unveiling the plans, Econet has received inquiries from both local and international companies and discussions with the government were already underway.

Once finalised, he said Econet InfraCo will begin marketing the project to potential investors and start rolling out the facility in phases.

He added that Econet will not seek exclusive terms from the government, in the hope that the offer will extend to others with similar projects in Harare or other cities.

SOURCE: The Standard